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Our Top selling Hydrating Creme Gel is getting a makeover, and it's going to be better than ever! This is an exciting opportunity to help us grow (and survive… Literally!) as a small business. But also a great opportunity for you to know that your curls are being taken care of for A WHOLE YEAR!
At Lusid, we embrace change and are always seeking ways to innovate, push boundaries and create a better experience for our customers while taking care of the planet. Over the past year we have grown our tiny operation from a minuscule 13m2 space (How did we manage that?), to move to a bigger space 2 weeks ago. This has enabled us to increase our production capacity to keep up with demand, and our plans to launch into the retail sector.
I officially welcomed my wonderful business partner (and marketing genius) Jenna in December last year. We are just ready to take this magic to the next level, bringing plastic-free NZ made products to NZ and beyond, spreading the message of self love and acceptance to everyone we have the pleasure of coming into contact with through our products.
Image: Tash Brooks and Jenna Lee packing late night orders July 2020
With so much change comes endless exciting possibilities for new products, better educational content particularly aimed at children to help them grow up confidently in their own unique identity, the overall ability to reach more people and change even lives for the better. On the flip side, we also deal with the harsh financial reality that statistically forces most small businesses to close their doors around our age.
Our day of reckoning with the harsh reality was yesterday. Going over our numbers from the last financial year (which were amazing for a business of our size, capacity and age) and realising that despite all our hard work, love, sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears, it wasn’t enough, and we can't realistically sustain this for much longer. I felt broken. The reality that businesses don't run on love and passion alone keeps hitting me like a tonne of bricks and I am overwhelmed. It brought tears every time I think about how badly I want this to work.
Yet it is at these crucial and challenging times where we are forced to get creative; the best ideas are born! I am choosing to see this as a pivotal point in our story that is only just beginning. Yesterday I was at the point of calling it quits, shutting everything down, walking away, and joining the statistics of failed businesses under 3 years old… But I have one last piece of hope to hold on to that I have to at least try. As uncomfortable as it is for me to be vulnerable and open, I am showing the real and raw human side of running and scaling a small business while being a mum to a 4 year old, and 7 months pregnant, and with what feels like the world on my shoulders, I will try absolutely everything to make this work.
This crowdfunding campaign is the very last lifeline, and for me, the stakes have never felt higher. I am nervous to put this out there but it kills me to think of the overwhelmingly wonderful positive feedback we get from our products, and how people are genuinely feeling more confident about wearing their natural hair, and realising that we aren’t able to continue without this successful campaign. I just want to keep what I am doing, bring the new and exciting products in my head to life, push the boundaries, create more educational content around natural hair care because I have seen how we have changed so many lives.
Your support in our campaign transcends far beyond mere hair care. It speaks volumes of the faith that you put in us about our vision for a happier, cleaner future, our commitment to being open and honest about how we operate our business and our intentions. But above all, it is the lifeline we desperately need, because without your support, this is quite literally the end.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, our customers for your love and support. Every sale, message of encouragement, good and bad feedback, like, share, follow, and comment on social media has shaped us into the business that we are proud to be today. We continue to be grateful for the support you have shown thus far and we thank you for your vote of confidence in supporting this campaign in any way that you can.
CURL GEL CROW DFUNDER (to keep us in business!)
GIFT VOUCHER CROWD FUNDER (for those that do not have curly hair or wish to contribute on a smaller scale)
All our love and blessings,
Tash Brooks and Jen Lee